


Healing the Painless Wounds (OC/Rainbow Six Siege)

by ghostingsoviet



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, I just love my OCs, M/M, Multi, This is such trash, honestly I'm so sorry, it also takes a lot of time for me to update so I'm so sorry about that too, this is drama and fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-04-18 22:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14222847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostingsoviet/pseuds/ghostingsoviet
Summary: Gustave “Doc” Kateb knows of his fellow Frenchman’s peculiar medical record, he knows about the fact that he isn’t known for being reasonable. However, being the standing doctor of Rainbow, both on and off the field, he needs to take the other man’s numbness to pain into constant consideration. This causes him to dote over him, perhaps more than he should.Olivier “Marqué” Dumont doesn’t enjoy the constant attention he receives from everyone, especially when he’s in the field. Though, he’s realized that recently, he’s made attempts to get hurt, even ending up tackling a member of the White Mask to the ground during a mission. Though, now he has a secret he desperately has to keep. But how will this affect his relationship with the doctor he’s grown fond of?





	1. Prologue

Gustave Kateb quietly watched the small demolition expert before him chew and bite at his knuckles, only stopping when he began to taste blood. Frowning, the doctor leaned over his desk, flipping through a new set of medical files. Drumming his fingers on his desk as his eyes scanned the paper for a recruit that would be likely joining them in, ideally, just a few days. Again, his gaze made its way back to the other man, before he sighed deeply. For a moment, he watched, head tilting to the side, before he knit his eyebrows together and opened his desk drawer. Rifling around in it for a moment, he found a roll of gauze.

“ _Monsieur_ Dumont,” he started, walking over to the smaller man. “Give me your hands. You’ll bite through a vein if you keep going at this rate. All of the metal slivers are out from the last mission.”

The smaller man narrowed his eyes, holding out one of his hands as he huffed out a soft murmur of, “So _worried_ all the time, _Docteur_ . Can’t you calm down for at least a moment? I haven’t gotten killed, yet. Shit, I haven’t even been wounded to a point you couldn’t patch me up, Doc!” He noticed a small frown etching itself into the doctor’s face as he wrapped his hands, and he sighed and moved to pat his shoulder with his free hand. “Gustave. Six is _already_ concerned. I don’t need another parent leering over my shoulder while I’m in the field.” Still though, Doc stayed quiet as he tied off the gauze on one hand, then he took the other.

“It’s my _job_ to worry, Olivier. Besides, with Six sending you out with Lera and I…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “... It’s the best for you if there’s two of us. _Especially_ after that stunt you pulled in Surat.” Shaking his head as he tied off the bandages, he pushed Olivier back. “Lay down, I need to check the wound. See how it’s healing.”

The last mission both the Frenchmen had together, Olivier had gotten caught by shrapnel from a frag. It tore into his side pretty badly, and Doc had shouted at Rook to keep the smaller man down so he wouldn’t injure himself any more. Sighing, Doc shook his head and pushed Olivier’s shirt up over where dirtied gauze settled. Grabbing a clean pair of latex gloves, he pulled off his previous pair, before pulling on the other. Slowly, he began to pull the gauze off, before looking back up at Olivier, frowning disapprovingly.

“You never properly cleaned your wounds, Olivier. You _need_ to clean your wounds, or I _will_ have someone drag you here so _I_ can clean them,” he scolded, pulling the rest of the gauze away, and throwing it into the bin. Walking over towards his cupboards, he pulled out clean gauze pads, and other various things he would need to clean and dress the wounds. “ _Now_ ,” he started, setting everything down, before grabbing and wetting a washcloth. “Do I really need to go over how to clean a wound _again_ , like I was teaching a child?”

Olivier grimaced, propping himself up on his elbows at he looked at the doctor. “No, I don't. I'm perfectly capable of cleaning my wounds. I just can't tell when they need to--”

“Not an excuse. Look at them daily. Now, sit still. I'm guessing this will feel weird,” Doc interrupted with a sharp snip, before gently starting to clean the wound. Olivier squirmed a bit, but not from pain. The squirming was only from the _feeling_ of something touching the wound, the pressure of the washcloth on damaged flesh. After a few moments of the discomfort of Doc touching the wound, Olivier growled and gently pushed Doc’s hands away, sitting up fully and glaring as he kept his shirt pinned up against his side with his arm. “... Olivier,” he started, tone that of warning.

“It’s _uncomfortable,_ Gustave. Just get it over with, alright?” Olivier’s tone was strained, like the words were trapped in the back of his throat. Even with the fact that he couldn’t feel what would cause normal men to squirm out of pain, uttering whines and soft sobs.

_(Olivier had heard Thermite’s complaints about Doc cleaning out his wounds, and he was secretly glad that he didn’t need to suffer through the pain the other Operators did.)_

Frowning, Doc looked at him and partially crossed his arms. “I can’t _get it over with_ if you don’t sit still, Olivier. I’ll need to take longer cleaning it, and that means that you’ll still be uncomfortable from how the cloth feels in the wound,” he said, calmly. “So, will you please lay back down so I can finish?” He arched his brow as he watched the smaller man sigh and nod. Smiling kindly, he gently set his hand against Olivier’s chest.

Olivier laid back down as Doc’s hand pressed against his chest, though it wasn’t without a soft noise of complaint. The two lapsed into silence as Gustave finished cleaning the wound, and started to redress it. Quietly looking around the office, the small demolitionist sighed. The walls were too white, the room too _clean_ all together. Even the few posters that the doctor had hung up barely brightened up the walls -- they were mostly medical diagrams, after all, and a print of a drawing that one of the newer recruits had given him. Feeling a soft pat on his side, Olivier sat up.

“You’re done. Now, go get something to eat, you know what you can and can’t have.” The doctor couldn’t help but sigh a bit as Olivier slipped off the table, feet hitting the ground lightly. Watching as he started to the door, Doc began to pull off the gloves he wore.

“Oh, right!” Olivier turned to look at him as he reached the door. “Dom said he and Jordan were going out for drinks tonight, if you want to join. They asked me to ask you, so.” He shrugged, jamming his hand in his pocket.

Thinking for a moment, he snorted softly through his nose as he nodded. “I may just take you three up on that offer. That is, if I don’t have anyone I need to tend to.”

“I’ll see you then, if you decide to join, _Docteur_.” Opening the door, the small man slipped out of the office, leaving Gustave alone, in the quiet of his office. Sighing softly, he walked over to the door and pulled it shut fully.


	2. Olivier

I was still deeply shaken from the last mission I’d been on, and declined the next one that Six approached me with. I’d refused to speak with Gustave about it, or really  _ anyone _ about it, and I could tell that it was getting to the other’s, even the new recruit who’d gone on the latest mission in my stead. It wasn’t something that concerned them, though -- it was more of a  _ familial _ matter. Which meant that I had to start with calling my mother, and asking her to call my brother and father to all have a dinner at my house.

“...  _ Mère _ ?” I started, as my mother answered the phone. “I… Want to make dinner for the family at my house. If that’s okay. We really haven’t spoken much since I joined RAID.”

Immediately, she responded with a happy trill of, “Of course! Let me tell your father about this! I’m sure he’ll be thrilled!”

Biting down on my lip, I swallowed. “Well, I was wondering if you could also call Gabriel and ask him as well. He… Shouldn’t be out of country right now, right?”

“Oh, of course I can call him. I think he said he would be out of country in a few weeks, since he just got back last night. Alaina had called to tell me he was home,” she replied, humming softly.

“Alright, I need to go. I’m getting a call to medical, they want to run over some things with me, and make sure that I’m still fine to go off next time something happens. Goodbye.” With that, I hung up on my mother and slumped back against the wall I was next to. Using a bandaged hand, I rubbed my face, not caring if I pulled it away and there was blood. It didn’t matter right now, anyways.

The image that I had come to hate rose into my mind again, and I forced myself to shove it back. It wouldn’t go, though, and I couldn’t stifle a light groan. 

_ An all too familiar face grinned up at me as I held the mask that hid it from view. Bloodied and beaten, Gabriel sneered up at me, before pushing me away. I’d been found sitting where I’d been left by him, jarred back to reality by a hand on my shoulder. Looking up to who it was, my mind took a few moments to realize that it was Julien, a frown on his mostly masked face as he repeated something a few times that I couldn’t process. Everything was hazy, like it was a dream, and I had really quietly stuttered that ‘I need Doc…’ with my voice weak, frail. Settling my hand against my side, I could feel something wet on my hand, but I hadn’t paid any attention to it. My mind was still too hazy, thinking about what --  _ who  _ I had just seen.  _

Feeling pressure against my arm, I lifted my head from where I’d settled it against my knees, following up jeans to a deep green hoodie. I sigh softly as I tiredly look up at Dominic. Right, we were going out tonight with a few others, again, like we did every few weeks. That mostly had pulled my from my thoughts of the previous mission.

“ _ What? _ ” I growl, tone harsher than I meant it to be -- it wasn’t that I was mad at the other man, it was just that I didn’t want to  _ deal _ with other people right now. At least, not with people I usually worked with.

“Calm down,” he instructs me, crouching down to my level. “You haven’t been talking to anyone,  _ some _ of us are getting worried.” I knew who he meant by some, and I really didn’t want to think about it right now. Doc and Six’s meddling in my issues weren’t things I wanted to deal with at the moment. In fact, what they thought was wrong I could brush off with a smile and a light lie. Like I was doing now.

Smiling bitterly, I tilted my head as I looked at Dom. “It’s nothing, just family issues.” It wasn’t a  _ full _ lie, it  _ was _ family issues. It was just family issues a had to  _ lie _ about. “My father’s sick, and my brother recently got into a pretty bad accident. So…” I trail off, letting myself shrug. Watching Dominic's face for a moment, I let myself relax. It seemed like he bought my half-truth as he nodded, straightening. Pushing myself back up and onto my feet, I rub my face again.

“Do you… Have anything you need to do?” Dominic’s words were unsure, he didn’t quite know what to say to  _ not _ have me possibly snap at him. I didn’t blame him for being so cautious, I knew I must look tense, and ready to shove  _ something _ down his throat if he wasn’t careful. That look I got was something I always prided myself on.

“Not right now. I just sort of need some… alone time,” I responded rather slowly, trying to keep my head about me. Glancing to Dom, my mouth curled into a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll call you after Gustave checks me over again. I’ll still likely be joining you and Jordan for drinks, but he’s being like a mother hen, he’ll want to keep tabs on me.” I shrugged before starting to walk away, leaving him on his own.

“... Be careful, I have something planned for tonight that you don’t want to miss,” I heard him call, but I just gave him a thumbs up as I walked away. I didn’t want to actually want to think what may be in store for tonight-- I just wanted the time to think, time to slip into a quiet room just to clear my thoughts. To push away the thoughts of that one  _ fucking mission. _

*******

That didn’t happen though, and my stay in my dorm started off with bloody knuckles, and a possible wrist fracture. I had no way of knowing, though, and I quietly sat against the wall, nursing my hand. Hot tears of frustration rolled down my cheeks, and I look to my door as I hear someone knock at the door. Flipping off whoever it was through the door, I grunted as I started to get up. Shaking my head, I started over to the door, shoving my hurt hand into my pocket as I opened it. Pausing when I saw who it was, I frowned softly.

“... Gustave…” I started slowly, before sighing and rubbing my face. His eyes raked down my body, before focusing on the hand in my pocket. Frowning softly, he cocked his head, before looking me in the eye. “What do you need?” I shift uncomfortably under his gaze, looking down as he crossed his arms.

Holding out his hand, he arched a brow. “Give me your hand, Olivier.” Slowly, I pulled my hand from my pocket, setting it in his own. Feeling the pressure he set on my wrist, checking just how badly I had hurt it. Shaking his head, he frowned softly. “What did you do, and  _ why _ ?” 

Grimacing, I twitched away from him and turned my back to him. Growling lightly in the back of my throat, I glanced back at him over my shoulder. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll be fine.” Slipping my hands back into my pockets, I started over to the bed that I had pushed into the corner of the room. “Why did you feel the need to talk to me?” The few moments of silence before he spoke told me what I had to know -- he really had no reason. Perhaps it was only for the sheer fact of mild  _ concern _ ?

“You’re not talking with anyone except Dominic, Olivier. Which… Is a bad sign, to be blunt,” he started, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. It was like he could sense me rolling my eyes, and his tone suddenly got harsh. “Olivier,  _ something _ is wrong, and you  _ need _ to talk to someone. I’m sorry, but I can’t sit idly by and watch you destroy yourself like this.  _ What happened _ ?” The suddenness of the tone shift caused me to jump, and I hesitated for a moment to speak. 

“It’s family issues, and I was pressed by the last failure of a mission we had,” I quip back calmly, shrugging. “Are you going out for drinks with Dominic and Jordan, or…?” I trail off, trying to reroute the conversation. It didn’t work, and Gustave grabbed my sleeve, pulling me to face him.

“Look, Olivier. This is  _ vital _ for me to know. If it’s going to be cause for concern for you health, be it mental or physical, you must tell me,” he murmured, tone hushed as he hung onto my arm. Watching him for a long moment, I frowned, before narrowing my eyes and yanking away from him.

“I’ll see you later, Gustave. Just… Leave me be for a bit. I wanted some time alone,” I half-growled, pushing past him and exiting the room. It was clear that he had wanted to say more, but I wouldn’t give him that chance. Not now, at least. He could wait until later to say what he had needed to say to me.


	3. Olivier

_ Left hook, drop to the ground, swing right leg out. Strike the knee, push back off the ground and plant feet. Move to the left, keep weight on toes, duck. Deep breath, block right, grab arm.  _

My foot found itself connected to the other man’s knee, causing him to grunt and drop to a kneel. Twisting my own body and his arm harshly to the right, I grabbed the fist that had attempted to make contact with my ribs, and I bared my teeth as I used my weight to shove the larger man to the ground. Stumbling back up, I breathed heavily through my mouth as I looked down at the smiling Brit. He started to open his mouth, but I turned away and brushed my hair off my sweaty forehead. I knew that the smile had faded as I walked away, rolling my shoulders back, before twisting in such a way it should have hurt, only stopping once I heard a sharp  _ crack _ from my spine.

I’d fallen into this routine off nightly sparring with Mute --  _ Mark  _ \-- about two weeks earlier. Only a few days after our mission in a small, unnamed town in India; the mission that I had encountered Gabriel. This routine was supposed to get my mind off of it, Mark had suggested it before I had went back to Paris.

Needless to say, I hadn’t gone back to Paris. The routine took over, eclipsing easily three hours of my day. Mark and I spar, then we rest for a few minutes to catch our breath, for our bodies to cool down. We would talk a bit, though I would keep our chats even more  _ brief _ than he would, usually. Then, we would do it again. Usually after a few rounds, Mark would take a bit longer, since anything  _ I  _ did to  _ him _ , he could feel. It almost made me regret our sparring matches. Almost.

Now, though, I had more things bothering me, and I cut off Mark before he could say anything with my silence. I knew I must have  _ looked _ tense, and I knew I couldn’t move without feeling a strange pull as my muscles resisted stretching, but I wasn’t sure why. Linking my fingers together, I stretched my arms above my head, before grunting lightly as I felt that pull again. Tension, from my body being wound up tighter than a coil. Tension, specifically from the stress that I'd laid upon myself.

My head immediately snapped towards my discarded jacket as I heard my phone buzz, and I let out a soft breath. Tension from a phone call I had been awaiting. Mark glanced over to me, arching his brow inquisitively as he stayed quiet. He could have questioned who was calling, but turned away from me to give me privacy to speak to whoever it was. Pulling my phone from the pocket, I answered and put it up to my ear with a light sigh.

My greeting simple, one word, “Grace.”

“ _ Anyoung _ , Olivier,” the Korean hacker replied, humming softly. “I heard that you needed me?” I could hear her typing something in the background, and I rolled my eyes.

“... Yes, I did. I… Actually need you to do some digging on someone for me. One of my family members, specifically. I have reason to believe that…” I trailed off for half a second, before sighing, “I have reason to believe that my brother’s involved in illegal activities, and I want to see if my theory holds any bearing.” 

Grace was silent for a long moment, before I heard her shift to grab something. “Gabriel? From what I’ve seen on his record…” she trailed off for a moment, and I heard her slowly type something in. “... He’s yet to do anything illegal. You want me to see what flights he’s been on?”

“Please. Send me the information; send me  _ any _ information that you can, please.” I rubbed my face, looking off to the side. The tension in my shoulders didn’t ease, and I grunted a bit. “How much do I need to pay you for you to keep this from… Everyone?”

I wasn’t expecting that I would  _ need _ to pay Grace off, but it was good to offer just in case. For a moment, I felt a tightness in my chest as our conversation lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, and I coughed slightly to ease the pressure off my mind and body. I started to open my mouth to propose an offer, but was interrupted by a sigh and a response of, “It’s a favor, so you’ll need to eventually return it. I just need to think of  _ how. _ By the way… You should be receiving the files in a few minutes. It’s a large transfer of information, so it will take a bit.”

“ _ Merci _ . And this includes…” For a moment, my voice faded.

“Bank records, phone calls, texts sent, tracked GPS locations… Everything you would need to know about a person. I could even get you his location right now, if you want.” She must have taken my hesitant silence as asking for his location at this moment, because she responded with a light hum of, “Currently, Beijing.”

Beijing — my parents never said _ anything _ about him getting in Beijing. Swallowing, I took a deep breath. “Thank you again. I think I should go, feasibly sleep. I'll speak with you later.” I hung up before she had the chance to speak, and started to gather my thoughts as I grabbed my jacket. Pulling it on, I pushed my way out of the sparring room. The tension in my shoulders was worse than before, but I ignored it. It wasn’t a matter of concern —I could get it taken care of later.

Then I felt my phone buzz again, and I answered it without looking. “What is it now?” My voice was far too cold, and I wasn’t really paying attention to how I was speaking. The voice that spoke wasn’t the one that I expected, and I tensed immediately.

“Marqué, you are being dispatched to Beijing, along with Glacier, Blitz, Finka, and Doc,” Ash’s -- Eliza’s -- voice spoke over the speaker; it was commanding, yet calm. I didn’t enjoy this, especially not the fact that she mentioned Beijing.  _ Where Gabriel was. _

Taking a deep breath, I looked down. “... What’s the situation? Bomb?” That was one of the few things I could think of — especially if we would need Glacier — Beau’s — squad of drones. The next words that came from the woman’s mouth made my throat seize, and my stomach tie into knots.

“A school in southern Beijing, on the edge of the city, was being visited by government officials who were to speak to the children. An unknown force, sources claim that it must be a subsector of the White Mask, had taken and locked down the building by force,” she said, far too calmly for my comfort. “There are three main targets that should be taken out, who you will be briefed on during the flight to Beijing. However, there are over thirty enemy combatants on the school grounds, as well as within the school.” She must’ve paused to allow me to speak, and I shakily sighed.

“... Understood. I’ll be ready for pick up in ten.” I hung up with that, and my shoulders slumped. This wasn’t what I wanted, I just wanted some time for a break; but I knew it wasn’t feasible —not now, at least. No, now I just had to go grab my equipment.

***

_ Beijing, China — Saturday, November 23, 2017 12:45 AM Local Time _

Five of us sat at a table in a briefing room, tension rippling throughout the room in waves. The other operators were fidgeting from the shot that Lera had given them, but the usual discomfort most of them wore upon their faces wasn’t there — it likely disappeared long ago from repetitive use. The silent realization made me frown, and my gaze flicked across everyone’s faces.

First, to the Germans, and I tilted my head. The two of them were talking in hushed tones as they did last minute maintenance to their equipment; Beau to his drones’ controller, programming in the floor plan to the school that he had been given, and Elias to his shield. Beau furrowed his brow when Elias said something he  _ clearly _ didn’t agree with, lips twitching down into a light frown as his gaze was pulled away from the device that was strapped securely to his wrist. Beau glanced up for a moment, his gaze drifting to me, before he nodded slightly in greeting. After a moment more of watching the two speak, my gaze drifted towards Gustave and Lera.

Lera was the first to notice me looking, and her lips twitched up into a light smile as she dipped her head. Smiling back, I cocked my head, gesturing slightly towards Gustave with a questioning look on my face. Faintly, she chuckled, before nudging him and gesturing towards me, indicating to him that I was looking to him. All of this was done without speaking -- without disturbing the quiet tension in the room. Glancing over to me, he cocked his head, before standing and moving around the table to sit next to me. Looking over me, his lips twitched down into a frown.

“You haven’t been sleeping…” he murmured, tone hushed as he watched me. “... Yet you still accept this mission. I understand that it’s children, but we still had others who could have gone in your stead. Why did you come?”

With a sigh, I looked up to him and pressed back into the chair. “I was asked,  _ Docteur _ . It was the right thing to do, since I know that almost everyone has been busy.” I shrugged slightly, looking over the others. “Besides, I figured that you and Lera would want to keep an eye on me.” Everyone knew that the only reason both were on this mission was because of my increasingly reckless behavior, that was no secret. Even Gustave wouldn’t deny that, he couldn’t come even close to making a decent argument against it. 

It was clear he wanted to say something, but was cut off by the door opening, and the screen at the head of the room flickered on to show a blueprint of the school. Glancing towards the door, we watched as Eliza came in, leaning her hands against the table as she sighed. Weariness was clear on her face, but none of us spoke as she started to.

“You have already been briefed on your targets, the terrorists only known as Wolf, Spider, and Scarab. Their ages and nationalities are unknown, and all we can tell is that they have had military training, or something that is the equivalent.” Sitting up, she walked to the front of the room and gestured to a large room in the center of the blueprint. “They are holding the children here, in the cafeteria. The school had been targeted during lunch, and any children who had not been in the lunch were either killed, or herded to the basement. Thus far, we have gotten confirmation that at least fifteen children dead, and five more are injured.”

“So, what’s the plan? If we keep wasting time, there’s the chance that more children will be killed. I know none of us want that, and we all want to get them safe as soon as possible,” Beau piped up, looking up. “I’ve been going through the blueprints that had been forwarded to me, and me dropping the Little Sisters on the roof so that they can scout the area around the cafeteria is the best chance we have. I can have them take down a few of the enemies around the room, as well as the other floors. Splicer can destroy any cameras they may have access to. Marque and Doc can rappel down from the roof, go in through the north si-”

“ _ You _ do not dictate this mission, Beau.” Lips twitching down into a frown, Eliza looked at him. Clearly, she didn’t enjoy how he was trying to take charge, and he clearly noticed that too since he shrunk back into his seat. “Though, despite the disruption, you  _ do _ have raise a decent idea.” Silence had washed across the room as Eliza thought, head lowering for a second, before she sighed. “We’ll go with that. It’s our best chance now, since it seems our other resources have exhausted other ideas…”

“Other resources?” Gustave looked up, frowning deeply. “What other resources do we have out in the field?”

“I’m unable to tell you that at the moment. They’ll be meeting up with you, and communicating enemy positions over comms.” I could tell that that answer made everyone nervous, and Eliza clearly noticed as well. “Let’s get going.”

***

The operation was simple enough, it wasn’t something we hadn’t dealt with before. Beau had scouted the area using his drones, far more thoroughly than we could ever had wished to with our own, and incapacitated individuals around the entrances we were planning on heading in through. Gustave and I would go in together, start on the roof above the cafeteria, and work our way down and into the school, meeting with the Beau, Lera, and Elias in the cafeteria. That was the ideal plan, at least.

That ideal plan was something I realized wouldn’t happen as Gustave and I swept the topmost floor of the school, rooting out anyone that we could find. With a soft murmur, we had split in two separate directions, checking our backs occasionally as we slipped off into differing rooms. Eyes narrowed, I did a slow scan of the room. My steps were slow as I passed through a doorway, only to hear a soft click from my left side. Whipping around, I hurried backwards as my grip tightened on my rifle. It took a second, but an explosion went off where I had been standing just a moment earlier.

“Marqué?” I heard Gustave’s voice crackle over comms, and I smiled faintly. “Are you okay?”

“ _ Oui _ . Someone set a trap up here, but the timing was off enough that I could get out with…” I trailed off, glancing myself over. “No injuries. I’ll continue a the patrol, clear up any stragglers that may come in.” Silence fell over our channel again as we continued our sweep of the area, now on higher alert than before. Then, I spoke again, “You help clear a floor down with the others, I’ll stay up here.”

“Understood. Stay safe, report if there’s movement, and one of us will meet up with you…” Gustave’s response came a moment later, and I expected he had descended the stairs just a few rooms away.

Which immediately meant my senses had went on overdrive, forcing me to listen to anything and everything around. Every floor board that creaked caused me to shift on my heel, hoping desperately that I wouldn’t run into that who I dreaded. I had to take every precaution, just in case someone was still here with me. Just in case something was to happen. 

My caution wasn’t rewarded, though, as I heard a muted gunshot, and felt something hit just below where my vest protected, piercing through my abdomen. A stuttering gasp of shock wheezed from my lungs, and I whipped around, immediately pulling my weapon to my shoulder as I glared down the sights. I felt my breath catch in my throat, and I adjusted my feet to make up for the balance I’d already started to loose. 

“Oh, Olivier. They sent you on another mission?” The man in front of me pulled back his mask, revealing the face of my brother. Scanning my eyes, he shook his head and sighed, clearly noticing how I couldn’t believe how he recognized me. “You’re not on the ground from the pain,  _ frère _ . Who else could do that?” Gabriel’s light, teasing tone made me sick to my stomach, and I shuddered a bit. “The doctor’s already downstairs with the rest of your team, and the building is clear -- I ordered everyone out. So, even if they did hear that shot…” He trailed off, looking me over. “It’d be a shame if our parents found out you died,  _ non _ ?”

Desperately I lunged forward, a cry of anger welling up in my throat, but he was faster than me and pulled out a revolver, shooting me in my leg and causing me to stumble in surprise. “ _ Sous-merde _ ! Gabriel!” Rage was twisting knots in my stomach, and my vision was starting to fade a bit. The movements I was making was making me bleed worse, and I gripped my abdomen where I believed the wound to be.

Smiling grimly, he sighed and shook his head. “ _ Adieu _ , Olivier. It seems like someone’s coming to find you. I hear footsteps… It’s a shame.” He turned away as my legs finally began to quiver from fatigue I hadn’t even noticed, and I fell, hitting the ground hard.

The last thing I remembered was feeling only slightly more energy as I was picked up, and a concerned, Russian-laced murmur of, “Keep pressure on his wounds, Glacier. I’ll get a medical extract for him, you get Doc on comms and tell him about the injuries...”


	4. Olivier

My shirt under my vest was wet, and had a red sheen to it from the blood that I had lost. Squirming, I could feel the blood flowing from each individual wound, and I grit my teeth from the discomfort. After the extraction, I had been immediately brought to a hospital in Beijing. So, that was where I laid now, in a bed as they rushed me to my own room, away from the others. Eyes closing for a moment, I grunted a bit as I came to a sudden halt in a room.

They didn’t open until I heard a familiar voice snap, “He is  _ my _ patient, let me look at him. No! You won’t get his files before he bleeds out!” The anger was astounding, and I opened my eyes to look up into the face of the doctor, and I smiled tiredly, arching my brow.

“How bad is it,  _ Docteur _ ?” I tilted my head, but didn’t move any more as he pulled the vest from my torso and started to cut open my shirt.

“Be quiet, Olivier. If you speak, you’ll bleed out faster. I don’t think your parents want to lose their son this way,” he hushed, quickly started to clean the wound. Grabbing something from the tray, I couldn’t see what, he rooted around in the wound for a moment, before gently pulling out a bullet and dropping it on the tray.

Keeping one hand on my side, he held me down to make sure I wouldn’t squirm from discomfort. Slowly, I closed my eyes as I heard him instruct me to hold my breath, and I relaxed as I inhaled deeply. Gritting my teeth as I felt the needle pierce flesh, I pushed the feeling out of my head as I focused on the hand that was now against my chest, as well as the soft murmurs meant to comfort me. Mostly, though, it was the touch I focused on, and I bit my tongue as his hand moved across my chest and down to my abdomen.

_ A flurry of touches, rushed and almost frantic as two bodies coiled around each other, trapped in a dance only made to get closer. Lips locked in heated combat, teeth pulling at them as tongues tasted every part of the battle. Flushed cheeks, and bare chests pressed close, like they were trying to merge, trying to combine into a singular entity…  _

“Olivier…” A touch to my cheek brought me back to reality, and my eyes snapped open to do nothing but stare at the tired doctor that was carefully leaning over me. “... Don’t sleep just yet. You’re still exhausted, I know, but talk to me for a little while.”

Frowning, I didn’t respond as I looked at the streak of blood across Gustave’s cheek bone, and the downward curl of his lips as he looked down upon me. Worry made him age eight years — it was sad, seeing as he worried for  _ me _ . It wasn’t like I could feel the pain anyways, but I knew that the worry was from the blood loss I must have endured.

Slowly, my hand reached up, smearing the blood slightly more as I attempted to wipe it away. Rolling his eyes, Gustave sighed and settled his hand over mine, finally allowing himself to sit on the chair next to my bed.

“What happened, Olivier? You said you would keep scanning the floor above while I went to check on the children the others had secured, and you never joined at the rendezvous point…” he murmured, before trailing off and looking down. “The next thing I knew, Beau was yelling over comms that he and Lera had found you, and you were severely injured. So… What happened?”

“Lapse in concentration… I got caught off guard, and got hit pretty badly.” My response was slow, and I carefully pulled his hand down to cup my face, and I sighed softly at the warmth. “... Which is when Lera and Beau found me…”

Gustave frowned, before his attention was drawn away from me by someone stepping into the doorway. I couldn’t make out who it was for a few moments, but I sighed sadly when I saw it was Eliza. Sitting up slightly, I looked to her, chewing my lip.

“May I speak to Marqué privately, Doc? For just a few minutes, then you can speak to him.” Eliza was standing there, seeming troubled. When she noticed Gustave about to argue, she gave him a look. “Gustave, please. You’ll be able to come back in, just give us a bit.” Slowly, though I could tell not  _ willingly _ , Gustave obliged, slipping out of the room to speak with the other doctors what must have been caring for the children we had managed to extract.

“... Olivier, do you mind explaining the footage that we had taken from the cameras that are mounted to your helmet?” Eliza cocked her head, sitting on the edge of my bed. I got a sick feeling in my stomach, squirming as it twisted into uncomfortable knots. “We couldn’t make out the man’s face that you saw, and we couldn’t hear what you two were saying. All we know is the camera had recorded up you speaking with someone.”

Looking down, I pulled one knee to my chest, frowning as I felt the pull of stitches. “... He had caught me off guard, and I was trying to speak with him — he had been blocking my way out of the room, and I hadn’t wanted to scare the children that the others had been evacuating.” I tilted my head. “If I shot him, I would have risked the children hearing it, and they may have become more panicked.” The reasoning was sound enough, and not far enough from the truth that my bluff could be called. Which, seemed to satisfy the redhead as she nodded faintly.

“... I’ll be briefing you privately on your performance after you’re healed. You’ll be flown back to France tomorrow morning, and I expect you to stay there until Doc confirms that you’re ready to return to the field. Do you understand?” She looked sternly at me, crossing her arms as the silence between us lasted for around three seconds.

“Yes ma’am, I understand.” I dipped my head slightly, watching as she stood and started to the door. Dread twisted in my stomach as I leaned back into the pillows, and I groaned softly. It was better if I rested, I knew that, but I certainly couldn’t bring myself to sleep. My stomach was twisting in knots, turning in onto itself, and I sighed softly.

Then I felt a hand settle on my shoulder, and I froze as I heard a murmur of, “... How are you feeling?” It was Lera’s voice, and I sadly smiled as I turned to face her, sighing softly. I didn’t even hear her walk in, but her company was appreciated.

“... I could say that I’m doing amazingly, but that would be a lie.” I shook my head faintly, looking up at the Russian. “... Eliza, and I’m guessing by extension  _ Six _ isn’t letting me into the field until I heal fully.”

Lera frowned a bit, before shaking her head. “... I’m guessing that you being healed fully will have to do with whether or not Gustave approves of you being out in the field again.” She sat down, leaning back. Exhaustion was clear on her face, and I felt my gut twist. She had overworked herself not only hauling me out of the building, but beforehand as well. However, I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince her to leave my side until Gustave or someone else came in.

“... Sadly, that’s exactly what it is. I’m going back to Paris until I’m healed, which ideally shouldn’t take long.” I chewed my lip, and only caught myself when she reached to cup my face, concern crossing her features. “... However that means I may be kept out of the field past my healing time.”

It took her a few moments to reply, but when she did, it was slow. “... Well.. You have been overworking yourself, and need to rest. Stress has caused you to become reckless with your health, мой друг.” As I started to say something, she chuckled. “... Yes, I do understand that.. It is hypocritical of me to say that. Now, rest. I will tell the others of your condition. Beau was quite worried after he found you.” She stood, brushing her hand through her hair.

“... Shall I see you when I wake up?” I smiled lightly, propping myself up. “Or will I have to get Gus to tell you I’m awake?”

“We will see, Dumont.” She looked at me sternly, before starting to the door. “... Take the time in Paris to spend it with your family. You haven’t seen your parents in a while, no?” Softly, she smiled. “... We can handle you not being around constantly.” With that, she slipped out of the room and shut the door, leaving me alone to my thoughts


	5. Gabriel

A bitter snarl was on my lips as I paced around the small hotel room, the small Brazilian woman in the corner watching me with silent annoyance, brown eyes flicking across what was left of our small, ragtag force. Rolling her eyes, her gaze flickered to the other male, who was messing with the shield he used, the hoses and piping disconnected so that he didn’t release the fumes that were held in a canister at the bottom of said shield.

“... Aye, Wolf.” Her gaze returned to me as her far too cold voice rang out through the room, causing both Scarab and I to stop moving. “What’s the plan? Or do I have to return to the favela you found me in since the big boss isn’t setting anything up?” Her question made me think, and I sighed a bit.

“We’ll be staying here for a few more days, before leaving. We have yet to get anything important to do, so multiple small attacks will have to do. Especially now.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I shook my head. “However, we’re making a stop in Paris. My brother is likely to be going home because of his wounds.”

Scarab glanced over to me, frowning lightly, before a grimace crossed his face. “I’m assuming that we won’t be getting supplies while we’re there, hm? It’s only a familial visit?”

A momentary silence passed over us, before I nodded, rubbing my face. It was indeed a familial visit, but I truly did not want to disclose that specific fact. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I looked over to my phone, before standing. “Yes. However, you two aren’t to disturb that. You’re to explore as much as you wish,  _ but _ neither of you can make a scene.” My eyes narrowed, gaze flicking between the two as they started to look excited, before their expressions fell. “... And I’m trusting that you won’t let yourselves be recognized. Understand?”

Scarab leaned back, looking at Spider, then myself. “... So it’s gonna be a family reunion for you, and a vacation for us? That’s what I’m understanding?” He frowned, nodding faintly as he leaned back. “How are we gonna get there with our equipment, then? We sure as hell can’t take a commercial flight.” 

I glanced between them, before digging my phone out of my pocket. “I have a private flight scheduled for us in just over forty-eight hours. No security, no other passengers, so we’re free to have any and all equipment that we need.” Faintly, a smile tugged at my lips. “Which means multiple things. The first, and most important? We’ll be arriving in Paris just a few hours after my brother.”

***

_ Paris, France —Monday, November 26, 2017, 3:22 PM Local Time _

I knocked on the door to my brother’s apartment lightly, before looking down and tugging gently at the sleeves of my jacket. He had arrived home about five hours ago, and our parents were currently visiting him, likely fussing over him as that doctor assured them that he would be fine as long as he rested. It was unfortunate that I hadn’t finished the job when I had the chance. Perhaps  _ then _ I wouldn’t be standing here, waiting as I heard the voices from inside the apartment, speaking of what happened.

My grave expression melted away into a polite smile as I was greeted by the face of the man who looked far older than he likely was, with dark bags under his eyes and a tired smile on his face. His jaw was tense, and his whole body was pulled taught from the stress that he was likely put under from his team. I assumed this to be the individual that I heard that Russian calling for -  _ Doc. _

“... You must be Olivier’s brother,  _ non _ ?” he inquired, stepping aside to allow me in, with a small gesture of his hands. “I’m Gustave Kateb, it’s a pleasure to meet you.. Gabriel, is it?”

I nodded. “Yes. I don’t believe he’s mentioned you.” Glancing him over, I internally grimaced. Despite the grey that stood against the stark black of his hair, or the artificial aging of his face, he was built far better than I assumed when I had seen him back in Beijing. Clearly, though, he was doing basically the same silent analysis on me, and he frowned slightly as his gaze returned back to my face. 

Shutting the door, he shook his head. “... He probably hasn’t. We rarely work together, so there wouldn’t be much reasoning for him to say anything about me.” To be honest, he seemed rather upset by this, and I almost felt sad for him - almost. It did pique my interest, though, and something in the back of my mind screamed that the good doctor felt more for my brother than he let on. “... Come. You likely want to say hello to your parents and brother.” He turned, starting further into the small apartment. When he pushed opened Olivier’s door, our mother turned, before smiling and hurrying over. She threw her arms around my shoulders, kissing my cheek.

“Gabriel!” She smiled as she pulled away, then looked at me critically, hands settled on my shoulders. “You need to eat,  _ mon fils _ ,” she quietly fussed, before gently pushing between Gustave and I. Olivier snorted from where he laid on his bed, looking past our father.

A bitter smile pulled at his lips, and I could feel his resentment towards me. Miraculously, though, his words betrayed none of it. “I see you’re doing well, Gabriel. I didn’t think you’d show.” He pushed himself up into a sitting position, glancing between Gustave and our father. “Can we speak alone? We have a bit to catch up on.” Politely, he smiled, and Gustave nodded, quietly ushering our father out of the room. When both were out, the door shut.

Sitting up, Olivier grimaced as his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “So you wanted to see if you could finish the job?” The hatred that he spat out in his words didn’t surprise me, nor did the fact that he cringed back into his pillows as I approached and settled myself on the edge of the bed. “... Or do you feel the slightest bit of humanity? Do you actually regret what you’ve done?” He leaned towards me, baring his teeth in a silent snarl.

“No, I don’t regret it. But, you know that family means nothing to me now…” I stared at him as I spoke, and I knew that my words sickened him. In the back of my mind, something urged me to stop, but I couldn’t. Not now. Grinning darkly, I leaned closer, head cocking to the side. “They mean oh so much to you, though… So I  _ know _ you’ll do anything to protect them… Which is exactly what I’m counting on.” Standing, I tugged at my sleeves, not looking at him now. Despite my gaze not being on him, I could feel rage radiating off of him. He knew exactly what I was implying - the fact that he wouldn’t tell who I was if it meant risking the lives of our parents.

“... So which one were you, Gabriel?” he finally spoke when I reached the door, fingertips settled on the knob. It took me a moment, before I smirked faintly.

“Wolf. Sort of ironic, no?” I didn’t give him the chance to reply as I slipped from his room, leaving him in silence.


	6. Olivier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's super short, but... I think you need consolation after Gabriel, no?

_ Hereford, England, UK --Wednesday, December 13, 2017, 5:33 AM Local Time _

Silently, I laid on my bunk, staring at the wall. It was two weeks since Gabriel had visited me in my home, and I insisted to Gustave that I wanted to come back to Hereford only the day after. He refused, but had clearly sensed my unease of staying alone in my apartment. Which meant that he stayed with me the week that I remained home, sleeping in my guest bedroom. Knowing that he was there, though, it caused me to desperately need his touch. I didn’t like the feeling, and kept my eyes down whenever he was around. My dreams became more and more vibrant, more and more about  _ him _ and I, admittedly, didn’t know what to think.

I almost wanted him to feel the same way, but at the same time, I feared the reciprocation of these feelings, and it made my stomach twist and flutter. Curling into a tighter ball, I could feel the bandages wear at my skin as I moved, and the stitches that were still in shift from where they’d settled. Frustrated tears welled up in my eyes, and I harshly ground the heel of my hand into my cheekbone as I growled at my own tears.

Which was when I heard the door open behind me, and for a moment, I expected it to be my CTU mate. However, that momentary hope diminished when I heard a voice utter a soft, “Olivier?” It took me only a moment to process who it was, and my stomach twisted into a tighter knot as I inhaled deeply. It was Gustave, standing in the doorway, staring at my back. Silently, I begged that he would believe me to be asleep, but I heard his footsteps approach, and the bed sink as he sat on the edge. “... I know you aren’t asleep.”

I was quiet, shaking faintly, but the quivers calmed as his hand settled itself upon my arm. Taking a deep breath, I turned my head to look at him, but paused when I saw a look of concern on his face. There was a moment of hesitance, before I slowly spoke.

“I have something I need to admit to you, Gustave, but I don’t know how you’d feel and I’m scared of admitting it to you,” I told him, and immediately, my breath caught in my throat and fear wracked my body. It was overwhelming, causing the words to collect in my mouth and I felt mute. I could see hesitance in his face as he threaded his fingers together, before pulling them apart and combing one hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in different directions, but it wasn’t due to gel or anything. I knew this, I knew his hair enjoyed sticking up in all directions because of the slight curls that it naturally held. My thoughts were cut short by him taking a deep breath, closing his eyes.

“I have something to admit to you, as well… I simply…” he trailed off, frowning softly as he stared at his hands. “Olivier, for a while… I have had feelings for you. Though I usually neglect telling individuals who I have a professional relationship with already, I felt as though I had to get it off my chest for… Both of us.” The weight began to lift from the bed as I slowly registered exactly what was said, and my hand darted out to grab his own. Threading my fingers between is, I sat up as I pulled him back down. Desperately, I searched his face, looking for any indication that it was a  _ joke _ despite knowing that he would never do that to me. Breath stuttering out from between my lips, I weakly smiled.

“Gustave, I…  _ Docteur _ … I…” I bit down hard on my lip, before sitting up and using my other hand to gently cup the back of his neck, causing him to bow his head only slightly as I closed my eyes.

The movement was smooth, yet slow as his lips met mine, and my eyes closed. Smiling into the kiss, he gently pulled me onto his lap, allowing me to press flush against him, and lock my legs around his fairly slim waist. I could feel each soft breath he took, and each touch from when he shifted his hand against my hip. My mind buzzed with a happy cloud, and I smiled as I pulled away from the kiss. My face was flush, and I smiled softly as my eyes slowly opened. Smiling more, I pulled him into a tight hug, nuzzling into his neck.

“... I have feelings for you as well,  _ Docteur. _ I do…” I murmured, and I felt his breath hitch as he hugged me back, stubble gently scratching against my cheek. My heart felt like it was trying to pound out of my chest, and I could feel him utter an almost relieved sigh.

Pulling away from me, he pressed his lips together in a thin line as he cupped my cheek, stroking it with his thumb. “Olivier… We shouldn’t tell the others about this, you know…” Pressing into his touch, my eyes closed as I smiled softly. “... But I will not ignore the chance that we have to be together…”

“ _ Merci _ ,” I whispered, smiling softly. Pulling away for a moment, I silently gazed at Gustave, before kissing his cheek. “... Others will find out at some point, though…” He bit his lip, glancing to the side. I could tell that he didn’t want to think about his fact, but knew that it was a feasibility.

“We will tell them at some point, but not until we know that it won’t be a hindrance during operations. Alright?” He tilted his head slightly, looking back to me. Nodding slightly, I didn’t quite hear his words, simply focusing on his mouth as he spoke. I could feel the lingering touch of his lips upon mine, and it was incredibly distracting.

Gustave rolled his eyes, kissing me once more quickly. “Though, I do need to check on patients. Flament is refusing to listen to Doctor McLaughlin, and even though both of us doubt that he will listen to me, it’s a last ditch effort.” I frowned, slowly slipping from his lap. “... I’ll visit later though, Olivier. I promise.” 

He stood, starting to walk to the door. Silently, I watched as he left, my heart pining for more of his touch, but I knew he had to take care of Lion. Gritting my teeth a bit, I laid back, letting out a breath.


	7. The Louvre

The two operators walked side by side through the crowded museum, quietly talking in hushed tones. Their voices couldn’t be heard over the din of tourists, and despite this being a calming time, they couldn’t help but find themselves on edge. The younger of the two, despite being far more comfortable in social situations, could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His throat tightened as his gaze scanned the people around him, and he took a deep breath.

Something felt wrong, like some sort of disaster was about to strike. It wasn’t as though it was something minor, but the whole air to everything - it had both operators on edge. They weren’t armed, they weren’t  _ allowed _ to be, and that made everything worse.

As they started to the French sculpture halls, they heard gunshots, and then screaming. Nearly immediately, one of the security guards that stood by the entrance to the hall, as well, pulled a gun, and aimed it to them.

_ “ _ _ Mets-toi à genoux! Descends et mets tes mains derrière ta tête! À présent!” _ * the man shouted, his eyes narrowing slightly.

For but a moment, Julien glanced around, watching as tourists fell to their knees, looking fearful, eyeing each other nervously as they murmured fearful words between each other. His gaze flicked back to Gilles, who merely dipped his head, slowly kneeling as he interlocked his fingers, settling his hands on the back of his head.

Julien followed suit, looking down.

 

***

 

Grace was jarred awake by her phone ringing, as well as the computer that sat in the small alcove in her apartment going off. Blinking the tiredness out of her eyes, she reached to grab her phone as she stood, answering it.

“We have a situation, Nam,” Six’s voice rung through the speaker of the phone as the Korean pinned the phone between her cheek and shoulder. “There’s been an attack at the Louvre, and Touré and Nizan are caught in the middle of it.”

“Alright, just tell me what you need me to do,” she heard herself answer as her fingers flew across her keyboard. “I see that you sent me what I need to easily access the camera systems, but… I’m guessing you want me to be your eyes in the sky, yeah?”

“You would be correct. I understand that you may be visiting family, but this is of utmost importance,” Six replied, voice stern.

For a long time, Grace was silent, her fingers settled someplace halfway between where they had been and where they should be, watching as something attempted to counteract her infiltration attempts. Lips curling into a soft frown, she continued to type, shaking her head.

“Let me into the comm lines and I’ll tell them what they need to hear - there’s going to be too much to try relaying through the lines like a shitty game of telephone,” she mumbled, leaning back for a moment. “I’m almost in anyways, but…” She hesitated for a second.

“I’m suspecting I can’t access the cameras?” came the reply, and Grace laughed faintly. She’d be able to access them, but the Korean didn’t want to risk a security breach if whatever was trying to keep them out was a person.

“No, I’m sorry. I’ll have to keep monitoring the feed and updating the code so that if they have anyone who can do anything about it? They can’t break the connection.” That was the simplest explanation, borderline a  _ lie _ , but she’d have to explain exactly why in person - currently she had to monitor this.

“Keep a close eye on those cameras, we’re dispatching Souza, Dumont, Melnikova, Pichon, and a new recruit for this.”

Grace could feel a wave of nervousness wash over her upon hearing the fact that a new recruit would be on this. Olivier tended to be harsh while dealing with recruits on missions, and if this was the kid’s first? She figured that Six wouldn’t want to risk it. Whatever. Six knew best what had to be done.

“I understand. I’ll find a point of entry for them.”

Thus, she set off, legs crossing as she began to type once more after she hung up.

  
Grace would’ve been lying if she didn’t admit that all of this felt wrong, that there was some other force at play, and she didn’t quite know what.


End file.
